Warriors edge past Bobcats

By By Will Bardwell/staff writer
February 22, 2004
A late offensive burst helped East Central Community College overcome fielding woes in a 10-7 win over Jones Junior College in the Rush Classic on Saturday.
Down 5-0 after the second inning, East Central rallied with eight runs in the final three innings.
The Bobcats took the lead in the bottom of the second when Elliot Burch led off the inning with a home run. Three of Jones' five runs in the first inning were unearned, as East Central shortstop Brian McNeill had three errors in the first inning alone. McNeill committed six of the Warriors' seven errors.
East Central got on the scoreboard in the top of the third on a two-out, two-RBI single by Michael Dunn, but Jones rebuilt its five-run lead in the bottom of the fourth when Burch hit a two-RBI single. Burch hit 2-for-5 for the Bobcats, who took their 7-2 lead into seventh inning.
Warriors catcher Bradon Ezell scored in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Mario Thomas, beginning a comeback for East Central that the Warriors completed in the eighth. Dexter Sellers, who finished 2-for-4 and was one of five East Central batters with multiple hits, drove a looper into shallow left field, scoring Derrell Ashford and Michael Dunn.
Robby Carey thrust the Warriors in front later in the inning, belting a three-run homer down the left field line and putting East Central up 8-7.
Ashford and Dunn added insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a single by Sellers, while Jones failed to score again, stranding two runners in both the eighth and ninth innings.
East Central returns to action today at noon, when the Warriors face East Mississippi Community College to open the last day of the Rush Classic at Meridian Community College's Scaggs Field.